Letter: New information obtained by the Countryside Alliance has shown not even 10 Downing Street can tell how much of food served at the Prime Minister’s official residence is British.

In response to the request for “the proportion of food which was procured by official residences for official functions in the past twelve months and which was domestically produced”, the Cabinet Office (responsible for No.10 Downing Street and Chequers) admitted “There is no information on whether the proportion of food procured in the past twelve months was domestically produced.”

The failure of No. 10 Downing Street to record and monitor the amount of British food being procured for official functions is contrary to recent comments by Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He said if people “want a strong, thriving successful farming industry – if you want to support the industry in Britain – buy British”.

The findings follow Gordon Brown’s statement last year “Everybody knows that British bacon is best”, despite the Cabinet Office, of which the Prime Minister’s residence and office are an “integral part”, had failed to buy any British bacon in 2007-08.

Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Simon Hart said: “The Government needs to practise what they preach. It is time for our government to support the countryside in the most simple of ways – by buying British. There is no excuse for key government residences not being able to tell us how much of the food they are procuring and serving at official functions is British.”

The Countryside Alliance